C-USA Releases Preseason Polls for Baseball & Softball

Despite single digit temperatures gripping most of the nation, spring is actually right around the corner. With warmer weather approaching, Conference USA released its softball and baseball preseason polls earlier this week.

The defending C-USA softball tournament champion, Marshall was selected to finish third in the leagues preseason poll. UAB, ranked 21^st in the nation by USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Preseason Poll, was predicted to win the C-USA title.

The Herd also landed two players on the All-Conference preseason softball team, outfielder Kaelynn Greene and utility player Shaelynn Braxton. As a freshman last year, Greene started 55 of Marshall’s 57 regular season games, hitting for a .335 average with 32 stolen bases. A junior, Braxton scored 19 runs during the 2013 season and posted a .316 batting average.

C-USA’s baseball coaches were not as kind to Marshall. The Herd was picked to finish 12^th out of 13 teams. Marshall also failed to place a player on the preseason All-Conference team.

Baseball starts the season on February 14^th in Winston-Salem N.C. The Herd faces Georgetown, Towson, and Wake Forest over three days at Wake Forest Baseball Park. Marshall softball also begins their year on the road, traveling to a tournament at Auburn. Besides the Tigers and Herd, Western Illinois, Winthrop, Nebraska-Omaha, and Loyola Chicago will participate in the three day event running February 14^th to the 16^th.